Alex Southwick

We live in a world built by fire and wrapped in plastic — a planet reshaped by our own invention. From the first flicker of flame to the glow of the digital screen, humanity’s genius has transformed the Earth’s systems in ways no species has ever done before.

In The Age of Fire and Plastic, Alex Southwick traces the story of the Anthropocene — the era in which humans became a geological force. Through vivid storytelling and sharp insight, Southwick reveals how our tools of progress — oil, metal, concrete, and polymer — have left indelible marks in the air, sea, and soil.

But this is not merely a tale of ruin. It’s also a meditation on what it means to live consciously in a world of our own making. How do we find awe, responsibility, and meaning when the natural and artificial are now one and the same?

Sweeping in scope yet deeply personal, The Age of Fire and Plastic is an essential journey through humanity’s defining century — and a call to shape the next one with intention rather than accident.

Field Books

The Age of Fire and Plastic: Living Through the Anthropocene

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